Mailer Pouch for Data Discs

ABSTRACT

A Mailer Pouch for Data Discs. The pouch qualifies for USPS bulk mailing rates. The mailer is formed from a single piece of card stock or paper that is folded twice. Adhesive is applied along opposing edges and to form a disc pocket in the bottom. In order to protect against tampering, as well as making opening the mailer easier, the pouch has a tab attached to a tear strip embedded within the pouch. Display surfaces are provided on the front and rear portions of the finished mailer pouch, as well as on the inner surface of the flap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to packaging systems and devices and, more specifically, to a Mailer Pouch for Data Discs.

2. Description of Related Art

Flexible compact discs, digital video discs and video CDs have become an extremely popular medium for distributing data in a digital format. Product introductions, services offerings and even video and music samples are widely being placed on these flexible disc formats. There has been one remaining obstacle to the full implementation and wide-ranging circulation of these disc formats and that has to do with the cost of the individualized mailing of those discs.

The typical mailing cost per disc, under the currently available envelopes or other packaging, is approximately $0.50 in the United States. In large volumes, $0.50 for postage will actually exceed the cost of the disc itself. As a result, it is difficult to justify using the flex disc for a marketing vehicle if the cost is more than doubled by mailing. What is needed is a special type of mailer that is approved by the Postal Service that can safely be used to distribute flexible data discs at the lowest possible cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and systems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Mailer Pouch for Data Discs. The pouch should qualify for USPS bulk mailing rates. The mailer should be formed from a single piece of card stock or paper that is folded twice. Adhesive should be applied along opposing edges and to form a disc pocket in the bottom. In order to protect against tampering, as well as making opening the mailer easier, the pouch should have a tab attached to a tear strip embedded within the pouch. Display surfaces should be available on the front and rear portions of the finished mailer pouch, as well as on the inner surface of the flap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the mailer pouch for data discs of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the pouch of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the pouch of FIGS. 1 and 2 prior to it being opened;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the pouch member of the pouch of FIGS. 1 through 3 in advance of the assembly being completed; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pouch member of FIG. 4 as assembly of the pouch is being finalized.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Mailer Pouch for Data Discs.

The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the mailer pouch for data discs of the present invention. The mailer pouch for data disc 10 of the present invention is made from a single unitary pouch member 12. The pouch member is preferably a thick bond paper having a glossy or other durable coating on both the inside and the outside surfaces. The pouch member 12 is formed in order that a flexible disc 13 can be inserted within the disc pouch 14 formed within the mailer pouch 10. The disc pouch 14 is a recessed slot formed between the back portion 18 of the unitary pouch member 12 and the lower flap portion 16 of the unitary pouch member 12. The upper flap portion 20 extends from the back portion 18 and is separated therefrom by fold 22. As will become apparent later on with other drawing figures, the upper flap portion 20 and the lower flap portion 16 are two halves of a single piece of paper that are torn apart by the pulling of a tear strip. Because the inner and outer surfaces of the pouch member 14 are both coated specifically to be suitable for advertising indicia and other display, the inner display surface 24 will typically contain printed material describing or accentuating or hinting at the contents of the data disc 13. Furthermore, there is a lower front display surface portion 26 b that is the outer surface of the lower flap portion 16 that will tend to be the front face of the mailer pouch 10 when the pouch 10 is mailed.

If we now turn to FIG. 2, we can see the other sides of the pouch. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the pouch of FIG. 1. As seen from the back, the mailer pouch 10 has a rear display surface 28, which extends downwardly from the fold 22 to the bottom edge of the pouch 10. Also, the upper front display portion 26 a is the outside surface of the upper flap portion 20. As shown in the dash line here, the disc cannot be seen from this backside of the pouch 10.

We will now turn to FIG. 3 to begin to examine how this pouch is fabricated. FIG. 3 is a front view of the pouch of FIGS. 1 and 2 prior to it being opened. The pouch 10 prior to opening has a solid front portion 36, which is half of the unitary pouch member (see FIG. 1). The front portion 36 comprised of the upper and lower front display surfaces collectively element 26. The upper and lower front display surface portions 26 a and 26 b are separated by a transversely-running tear strip 34 that terminates in a pull tab 32. The pull tab 32 is located within a notch 30 formed in the front portion 36 of the unitary pouch member (see FIG. 1). When the pull tab 32 is pulled, the tear strip 34 will cause a tear to be formed in the front portion 36 so that the upper and lower flap portions 20 and 16, respectively, are formed.

We will now turn to FIG. 4 to see how the pouch is formed. FIG. 4 is a front view of the pouch member of the pouch of FIGS. 1 through 3 in advance of the assembly being completed. The interior pouch member 12, as discussed above, has a front portion 36 and a rear portion 38 separated by fold 22. As shown here, the tear strip 34 is actually located on the inner surface of the front portion 36 and it terminates in pull tab 32. A specialized adhesive 40 is applied to the rear portion 38 prior to folding so that a semicircular disc pouch area 42 is formed that is specifically configured to create the disc pouch 14 shown in FIG. 1. Once the adhesive 40 is applied, the front portion 36 can be folded at fold 22 so that it is juxtaposed over the rear portion 38 and attaches to the adhesive 40.

Prior to folding, the pouch member 12 is approximately 9 inches wide by approximately 12 inches high.

FIG. 5 shows the pouch 12 just prior to is adhesive attachment FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pouch member of FIG. 4 as assembly of the pouch is being finalized. As shown here, the front portion 36 is just being attached to the rear portion 38 by the adhesive 40. Upon completion of this gluing process, the pouch 12 will be sealed with the disc inside and it can only be opened by tearing away the pull tab 32 and tear strip (not shown).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein. 

1. A mailer pouch for data discs, comprising: a pouch member defined by rear portion and a front portion juxtaposed thereover and adhered thereto; said pouch further comprising adhesive applied between said front and rear portions so as to form a disc pouch area therebetween.
 2. The pouch of claim 1, further comprising a tear strip attached to, and traversing one said portion, whereby pulling on an end of said tear strip causes a breach in said portion that it is attached thereto.
 3. The pouch of claim 2, wherein said pouch member is a unitary piece of paper material and said front portion and said rear portion are portions thereof further separated by a fold formed in said pouch member.
 4. The pouch of claim 3, wherein said adhesive is applied over less than one-half of a surface area defined by said rear portion.
 5. The pouch of claim 4, wherein said portion to which said tear strip is attached is further defined by a notch formed in said portion to receive a pull tab therein, said pull tab attached to an end of said tear strip.
 6. The pouch of claim 5, wherein said front portion defines an inner display surface and an outer display surface, said outer display surface divided into an upper display surface and a lower display surface, said upper and lower display surfaces being detached subsequent to said tear being formed in said front portion by pulling sufficiently on said tear strip.
 7. A data disc mailer pouch, comprising: a pouch member configured to safely seal a flexible data disc therein, said pouch member cooperatively dimensioned such that it is eligible to be shipped at United States Postal Service direct mail rates.
 8. The pouch of claim 7, further comprising: said pouch member is defined by rear portion and a front portion juxtaposed thereover and adhered thereto; said pouch further comprising adhesive applied between said front and rear portions so as to form a disc pouch area therebetween.
 9. The pouch of claim 8, wherein said pouch member is a unitary piece of paper material and said front portion and said rear portion are portions thereof further separated by a fold formed in said pouch member.
 10. The pouch of claim 9, further comprising a tear strip attached to, and crossing traversely one said portion, whereby pulling on an end of said tear strip causes a breach in said portion that it is attached thereto.
 11. The pouch of claim 10, wherein said portion to which said tear strip is attached is further defined by a notch formed in said portion to receive a pull tab therein, said pull tab attached to an end of said tear strip.
 12. The pouch of claim 11, wherein said front portion defines an inner display surface and an outer display surface, said outer display surface divided into an upper display surface and a lower display surface, said upper and lower display surfaces being detached subsequent to said tear being formed in said front portion by pulling sufficiently on said tear strip.
 13. The pouch of claim 12, wherein said front portion is defined by a lower flap portion and an upper flap portion subsequent to forming said tear by pulling sufficiently by said tear strip, and said adhesive is applied over less than one-half of a surface area defined by said rear portion such that said upper flap is not adhered to said rear portion.
 14. The pouch of claim 13, wherein said adhesive is applied so as to form a semi-circular disc pouch area between said lower flap and said rear portion.
 15. A combination, comprising: a pouch member configured to safely seal a flexible data disc therein, said pouch member cooperatively dimensioned such that it is eligible to be shipped at United States Postal Service direct mail rates; and a flexible data disc sealed between said front portion and said rear portion, said disc being able to flex until the face adjacent to opposing edges of said flexible data disc are parallel to each other at 70 degrees Fahrenheit without breaking.
 16. The combination of claim 15, wherein: said pouch member is defined by rear portion and a front portion juxtaposed thereover and adhered thereto; said pouch further comprising adhesive applied between said front and rear portions so as to form a disc pouch area therebetween, within which said data disc is sealed.
 17. The combination of claim 16, wherein said pouch member is a unitary piece of paper material and said front portion and said rear portion are portions thereof further separated by a fold formed in said pouch member.
 18. The combination of claim 17, further comprising a tear strip attached to, and traversing one said portion, whereby pulling on an end of said tear strip causes a breach in said portion that it is attached thereto.
 19. The combination of claim 18, wherein said front portion is defined by a lower flap portion and an upper flap portion subsequent to forming said tear by pulling sufficiently by said tear strip, and said adhesive is applied over less than one-half of a surface area defined by said rear portion such that said upper flap is not adhered to said rear portion.
 20. The combination of claim 19, wherein said adhesive is applied so as to form a semi-circular disc pouch area between said lower flap and said rear portion. 